Saturday, May 19, 2012

By now, it comes as no surprise that
Mayer shifts directions once more. This time, it’s not only the music that has
changed, but also his appearance. His
new image as the lonely cowboy earned him the “Johnny Depp look-alike” status
among fans. But this style switch is not unjustified, since it goes hand in
hand with his new music. The pop-blues tunes that fans grew accustomed to are
pretty much absent from this record, their spot being taken by folk-rock songs
- sometimes tapping into country - focusing on composition, melody and feel
rather than virtuosity. So don’t expect blistering guitar solos or a flashy
production…this time around, there’s just John with an acoustic, pouring his
heart out to whoever is willing to listen.

Mayer’s
latest effort starts off with an optimistic vibe, present all over “Queen of
California”, where he says goodbye to cold, rain, sorrow and shame, and
welcomes beauty and wonder. The third track and also the first single, “Shadow
Days”, which employs a lap steel guitar, does not change the mood, hinting at
better times to come: “Now
I'm right here, and I'm right now/
And I'm hoping, knowing somehow/That my shadows days are over”. “Something Like
Olivia” is definitely a toe-tapper, infusing a happy mood and featuring a great
solo to top it all off.

As the record progresses, the overall atmosphere
changes quite a bit, John being now more bittersweet and heavyhearted. In
retrospective, he sings in the title track, accompanied by a hauntingly
beautiful harmonica: “I still have
dreams, they're not the same/They don't fly as high as they used to”. "Walt Grace's Submarine Test,
January 1967" could be considered the odd track here (probably thrown in
for good measure), telling a strange story that could easily fit into one of
Bob Dylan’s songs.

As autobiographical as the rest of the songs
are, John saves the most heartfelt one for the end: “Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey”
is a perfect blend of melody, arrangement and lyrics, carefully crafted to make
one of the highlights of the whole album. Although he confesses: “The stage was
set, the words were mine/I’m not complaining”, the chorus – “Whiskey, whiskey,
whiskey/ Wake up, shake it off/ And repeat” over some well-chosen chord changes
– brings a whole new dimension to the song, suggesting a routine that slowly
drains the life out of the idolized pop-star.

All
of Mayer’s favorite singers could be viewed as influences here, from Dave Matthews
to Sting, from Ryan Adams or David Gray to Bob Dylan. Production-wise, Mayer
and Don Was made a clear, straight-forward mix for a straight-forward record. Just
like with “Room for Squares”, his other acoustic guitar-driven album, there are
some tracks that don’t really stick. But the fact that John Mayer matured is
undeniable…or so it seems.